Ring of Promise: A LitRPG novel (Elements of Wrath Online Book 1)

by J. A. Cipriano

  Most of the time it was because I did something stupid and amazingly self-sacrificing. You know, the usual things like not running when groupmates were still up, pulling aggro off newbies running from an encounter they couldn’t handle or, as in this case, holding off a train of quest MOBs so the rest of the group could finish the quest. I pushed out an immaterial sigh as I finished my trip to the Granholm Life Crystal and simply tried to focus on the fact that this latest mess would take me a step closer to what Chrissy deserved.

  The first gasp of breath when you respawn is the most jarring. Your body sort of instinctually goes into a shallow breathing cycle when you die in-game so the sudden influx of oxygen makes you feel a little loopy. As I opened my eyes hazily, the general buzzing pain signals of being at critical health replaced the dull throb of my death.

  There was one big upside to this self-abuse, though.

  Quest ‘A Diplomatic Incident’ completed!

  Your group has successfully escorted the Ocean Princess to Granholm!

  Report to Sir Copperholt for your reward.

  There was another upside. Well, not an upside so much as a pleasant surprise. The Crystal Hall was doing its usual brisk business and my sudden appearance wasn’t of any note. As I tried to get my bearings, a cascade of cool, soothing waters washed over my battered body as a smooth-fingered hand pressed to my forehead.

  “I told you I would be here to soothe your brow.” Kayla smiled as I focused on her.

  For all my soreness, I couldn’t help but smile back. Not some quippy or snarky or anything, as was my usual tack. No, it was a genuinely happy smile. “Thanks, Kayla, and thanks for finishing the escort.” Stretching up to my full height, her fingers trailed down my face and that made me smile more. “So, uh, did you guys turn in the quest?”

  I would have asked after Burndall but I could already see the kid’s status meter nice and full on my HUD.

  Kayla laughed. “Come on, that isn’t how the Sisters work … but I suppose you didn’t know that.” Settling her hands on her hips, her lips settled into an easy smile. “We did this as a group; we’re going to finish it as a group.”

  That certainly sounded like him. I rolled my neck slowly. Even with Kayla’s heals, my head was sore. Probably a tension headache from all the clenching and wincing, I got them now and again when I dived a lot. That was becoming a common occurrence these days.

  “You okay, Shale?” Kayla asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

  “Yeah, sure.” I waved in what I hoped was a nonchalant fashion. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” Taking a deep breath, I puffed it out. “I’d say more but …”

  “The Filter.” Kayla smiled a bit. “Better that than getting brain-jacked, right?”

  “Amen.” And I meant that wholeheartedly as I started toward the entrance of the Crystal Hall. “Let’s not keep the kid waiting, especially after such a hard-fought victory.” Kayla fell into step beside me, practically gliding compared to my heavy-booted stomping. “Didn’t that seem a bit too hard to you?”

  “What, the quest?” The Sorceress rubbed her delicate chin. “Compared to most of the non-dungeon quests, I suppose it was. It’s really our own fault, though.”

  I saw where she was going with this. It wasn’t like Copperholt didn’t warn me to get more people; I just didn’t get enough. Stupid Shale, er, Max. “You’re right. I figured we would need a group but not a full one. Another DPS and someone who could do backup support or tanking would have made that a ton easier.”

  She nodded. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. We all missed it. If anyone should be embarrassed about it, it should be me.” She shrugged as we walked through the open doorway out to Granholm Plaza. “I guess we’ve all gotten a bit, well, lazy. EO has been pretty easy lately; we just steamroll stuff, or we hire somebody better geared to steamroll it for us.”

  Burndall looked up from where he had been leaning against the wall of the hall on our right. “Are you guys talking about me?” he said with a big grin. “I’m just smart enough to know what to do to get ahead, and I’ve got the jingle to make it happen.”

  “Hey, I definitely won’t complain about that.” I grinned for a moment but got serious. “If not for folks like you, I wouldn’t be able to wrinkle my tie and string my violins.” Ah, there went the Filter again. Once real life came up, the goofy words came out. Early on, players tried to find some rhyme or meaning to the randomness, find a way to code things out, but the NSAF is a lot smarter than that. It’s all about intent, and you certainly can’t get anything past a mind-reading AI.

  The kid flashed me a thumbs-up while Kayla gave me a funny look for a split-second before nodding. “Right, Burndall, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s part of the economy, after all. We were only saying that we will probably need to recruit more people, get a full group for the rest of this quest line.”

  We continued our walk across the bustling plaza towards Champion’s Hall, Burndall falling into step as he gestured at UI panels we couldn’t see. “Want me to see if I can hire some more peeps, Kay? I can spare the cash.”

  Maybe it was me, but I swore that instead of the usual chaotic mass moving through the city, each avatar focused entirely on his or her own business, the folks were clumped up, chattering in groups. If the others noticed, they didn’t say anything.

  Instead, Kayla chewed her lip. “I doubt you mean any offense, kid, but it isn’t my decision. Shale is our group leader so he calls the shots on who we look for. Even if I was in charge, though, I would still say to save your gold. Filling up with known quantities would be best. I would personally start by asking around with the Sisters.” She nodded. “The whole guild needs to do the quests to get into Crystalfire, after all.”

  I cocked my head back towards the conversation and shrugged. “I might be the ‘leader’ but I’m no dictator. I’m game to try anything. Besides, you two aren’t tethered to me. After we turn this in, you don’t have to stick with me.”

  Don’t get me wrong. I wanted them to stick to me like glue, especially Kayla. She was a real pro, had access to a raid guild, and honestly seemed like a good person. Like, it felt like she really gave two licks about me and about our group’s success. I’d also be lying if I didn’t say that, digital avatar or not, she was beautiful, and it wasn't like I got to see many women outside of the ones in my family.

  Even the kid was growing on me. Sure, he did some silly stuff and maybe he wasn’t a great player, these were both true, but regardless, he was earnest, and he was obviously trying to learn. Also, he paid generously, more than my services were worth, to be totally honest. I first thought that it was because he was just that rich, but I was starting to think that it was a way for him to spread his wealth, a form of charity to poorer players that needed the cash more than he did.

  Whatever I wanted, though, I simply assumed they wouldn’t want to stick around. I’d never had much luck keeping friends in-game and even less in real life. I rubbed people the wrong way eventually, usually sooner as opposed to later, so … well, what else would you expect me to think?

  Burndall answered my comment with gut-busting laughter. “Seriously, dude? You guys rock! If I did tradeskills, I’d whip up a pot of Sovereign Glue and stick myself to both of you!” He shook his head. “No, no, I sure as apricot hamburger am not going anywhere!”

  Kayla quirked a smile herself. “Please, Burndall, never ever do that.” She glanced at me. “I mirror the sentiment, though. Why would I walk away from a group that’s not only successful but has some real chemistry?”

  I tried not to let my relief show too obviously. “Well, okay then. We’ll turn this in, and then I think maybe Kayla’s got the best idea to fill out our party.” I glanced back at Burndall as we walked into the hub of Champion’s Hall. “Sorry, man, but I’ll take another couple of Sisters of Artemis over random sell-whatevers, personal hypocrisy notwithstanding.”

  There was an honest-to-God gaggle of people down by Copperholt’s desk. The cat was
out of the bag, I assumed. There was everything from Craggar in baseline gear likely straight out of the Slatetown newbie yard to organized guild groups in polished, rune-carved gear and weapons blazing with power. I didn’t have to scan avatars for names and guilds, that would have hurt my eyes anyway with so many people clustered together, but I didn’t have to. No doubt every big raid guild like the Sisters had folks in that hallway rubbing shoulders with every other stratum of EO life.

  We were all staring now. Burndall was the first to snap too, at least a little. “Yeah, well, I don’t think I’m offended. With all this crazy going on, I sure as baguette won’t say no to some primo help.”

  Kayla nodded slowly before looking over at us slowly. “Sure, I’ll start checking after we turn this in.” She had a slight tilt to her head, one ear lifted and eyes shifted a hair to one side, the look of someone who was half-paying attention to another chat channel. Guild talk, most likely. She did say that she was checking this out for the Sisters earlier so not a big shocker there.

  “Yep, let’s do this,” I said and led the way. Taking advantage of my bulky rock body, I grabbed both Kayla and Burndall's hands and began to shoulder through the mob of players.

  There were certainly days I wished the devs hadn’t decided for player collision physics, at least in quest hubs. Despite the bumps, scrapes, and masses of muttered ‘excuse me’s and ‘I’m sorry’s, we did eventually get close enough to the Craggar knight’s desk for me to activate the quest interface.

  Copperholt’s mustache was drooping more than normal, and he looked downcast and worried even as the rest of the world lost focus and our little group came into crystal-clear focus. “Warlord Shale, while I am pleased to see you and your companions return safely, I have also heard terrible news from the road patrols.” He leaned forward towards us, his thick-fingered hands splayed on the desktop. “Please tell me that your mission was a success!”

  I didn’t even bother to look at the suggested dialogue. “Yes, Sir Copperholt, we found the diplomats before they were all killed by strange bandits. After fending off some corrupted creatures, Lady Kayla ensured that the Princess Kallisandre arrived safely within Granholm’s walls.” I sighed slightly. “One of the ambassadors was killed, however.”

  The elder soldier stood at that point and nodded gravely. “Sad news, indeed, but considering the power that the Flames of Conflict can bring to bear, you did an excellent job ensuring the Ocean Princess’s safety. You and your companions have earned all the rewards and accolades that you were promised.”

  Quest ‘A Diplomatic Incident’ concluded!

  Quest successful!

  30% Experience awarded! Experience 660,600/720,000

  Please choose your optional reward!

  While I had my mind mostly made up on this front before, having not bothered with a real 'weapon' in thirty-three levels, it wouldn't hurt to give the two items a quick scan in case I was missing something. This was a new level of play for me, after all, and new content to boot.

  First, the sword:

  Blade of Diplomacy

  Grade S One-Handed Sword

  Weapon Damage 120-270 Physical

  Attack Speed 2.1

  Skill Speed 1.2

  +32 Strength

  +10 Power

  +32 Vitality

  +16 Infusion

  Passive: Light Elemental Boost +8%

  Passive: Offensive Skill Boost +15%

  Passive: Defensive Skill Boost +10%

  Very nice. It’d be great if I were a more offensive tank, though, to be fair, the Blade didn't suck on the defensive front either. It had an interesting Gem setting, three linked sockets across the crossguard and two more linked sockets along the hilt and pommel, giving it another socket over my current banner.

  As for the banner option:

  Banner of Two Nations

  Grade S One-Handed Standard

  Skill Speed 2.0

  +20 Strength

  +18 Power

  +32 Vitality

  +18 Infusion

  Passive: Light Elemental Boost +16%

  Passive: Defensive Skill Boost +10%

  Passive: Support Skill Boost +20%

  Passive: Skill Duration Boost +15%

  No argument that this would be a clean upgrade off my current banner. Unlike the Blade's sockets, the Banner had a cross-shaped set of four sockets, three connecting to a central one along the hanger for the banner itself, with one lone socket right by where my thumb would naturally rest when wielding it.

  The differences between the two choices was stark and obvious. While the Blade was surprisingly tempting, something a sword or axe hadn't been for some time now, the Banner played right into my preferred play-style of defense and support, but then again, the Blade's higher Strength meant I might be able to qualify for some heavier armor to make up for the Skill boosts. I waffled a bit before I realized the one thing that made up my mind.

  There was one Passive both items shared. In the end, I decided that the Banner's increased boost for the Light Element alongside the higher Power to boost general Elemental damage might make the difference in the quests ahead and maybe even the Keep itself if what I had seen earlier was any indication … and assuming I could get myself a Light Elemental Skill or Mod Gem.

  All the same, I was still a little unsure about my choice as I nodded toward the transparent icon for the Grade S Banner of Two Nations.

  Grade S Banner of Two Nations awarded!

  The icon dematerialized as my new banner was placed into my digital inventory. I'd have to resocket Gems and decide on what new Gem I could add later since we had to sort this quest out before the login timer hit us. I would have to come in and socket them for testing next time.

  Kayla had made whatever choice she had been given even quicker and was already in focus by the time I looked back to Copperholt.

  “Good sir knight, with the Flames corrupting monsters in the Dominions and such bold banditry, what else can we do to help with this situation?” she asked, carefully choosing her words.

  “Good Sorceress, at this moment, very little,” Copperholt confessed. “The princess will meet with the Mountain King after she has recovered from this hard journey. Until they have decided on a course of action, I would not wish to waste your time on mere errands. Suffice it to say that we will send out a heavily reinforced troop of the guard to track down these bandits and secure the roads.”

  Yeah, and they won’t do a lick of good when the next quest group shows up to trigger another avalanche of Ogres and bandits.

  Burndall seemed a bit surprised at Copperholt’s explanation and was raring to go the moment the dialogue marker shifted to him. “What the fondue are we supposed to do in the meantime? Can we talk to the princess?”

  Copperholt settled back behind his desk, arching an eyebrow at the overexuberant Ember. “Please, be calm, friend Burndall. I would suggest taking the time to rest and prepare for what is to come. This is only the start.” He looked between the three of us. “Know that our two kingdoms may ask much of you in the weeks ahead. Come back to me on the morrow, and I am sure to have news then.”

  With that, the scene pulled back to the normal ‘Copperholt idly regarding the player’ stance with no new dialogue suggestion pointed out. Turning to Kayla and Burndall, I shrugged slightly. “I guess that we have a day to get some more people, maybe do some questing? It can’t hurt to get another level or so, right?”

  Burndall blew out a sigh. “Sure, I guess. I’m close to my timer anyway.” He quirked a smile. “Got enough time to pay you, though!”

  I looked over to see Kayla frowning in thought. “Sound good, Kayla?”

  She looked up at me, starting slightly. “Oh, sorry.” She swept back a lock of blue hair that had fallen into her eyes. “Yes, I think that’s all we can do.” She blushed a bit. “I am really sorry. Guild chatter is getting crazy.”

  I bet it was, especially if they were just getting all this updated by Kayla. Sisters wo
uld be flooding the hall any minute now.

  “Okay,” I nodded before turning to Copperholt to close out the NPC interface.

  There wasn’t much else to it. We parted ways out in the plaza, Kayla promising she would find a pair of guildies to fill out our merry band and Burndall dropping another gold payment into my coffers. With a round of goodbyes, it was time for me to go.

  Roxanne would be happy, I suppose, that I’d beat the logout timer for the first time in weeks.

  I know some players still get frustrated with the Filter, but it’s a necessity with the dangers of deep-dive neural technology. We’ve put a lot of work into creating a robust set of community management tools in-game and for the most part, that does the job. All the same, there are players who want to connect on a deeper level. We live in an age of long-distance relationships, deep bonds made from across oceans and continents, so that’s why we have options to explore those. They require a commitment above and beyond the core community tools, though, and we will announce them as soon as they are ready in game.

  Havoccore, EO community administrator, right after launch

  Look, I don’t care how immersive an experience is, I highly doubt that people can form a lasting, real relationship over a virtual environment. Sure, I believe people can meet and start a relationship like that but to have it take off, to really gel, be it a friendship or something more intimate, you need to have real, face-to-face interaction.

  Harvey Klein, marriage counselor, in a GNN interview

  8

  Even after my brain was back to reality, and I’d left behind Shale and Elementalis for the time being, my focus was still on the game. Sure, everything was on a timer and we weren’t going anywhere until tomorrow, and we had no knowledge of what to prepare for. All the same, all I could think about was the next quest.